August euth



(Model.)

A. RUTH.

TOBACCO PIPE AND TNF ART 0F MANUFACTURING THE SAME.

Patented Nov. 8.1887.

N. PETERS Plmm-Lnlmgmpmr, was! il I i raten.

TBACCO-PIPE AND THE ART OF MANUFACTURING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,769, dated November 8, 1887 Application tiled June 18, 1887` Serial No. 241,767. (Model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUsT RUTH, of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Pipes and the Art of Manufacturing the Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in tobaccopipes and in the art of manufacturing the same.

Hitherto in the manufacture of corn-cob pipes great difficulty has been experienced in procuring a supply of cobs of suitable diameter to meet the demands, and the consequence has been that the first cost of corn-cob pipes has been much-greater than the known abundance of corncobs wouldseem to warrant. Attempts have been made to utilize the smaller cobs by filling the interstices formed by the removal of the kernels with cement and with a mixture of cornstarch and gamboge and sub Y sequently dipping the filled cob into a silicate solution. The result has been that while the smaller cobs have been rendered capable of use the nicotine, combined with more or less saliva, has penetrated between the walls of the interstices and the cement or glutinous compound with which they have been filled, and has not only produced discoloration, but has caused the pipe to crack, and has alter a short time rendered it worthless.

The object of my presentinvention is to provide a corn-cob pipe which shall be essentially impervious to nicotine,aud which will not discolor by the burning of the tobacco in it.

Afurther object is to provide a pipe of iner-v chantable size from a-corn-cob of lesser diameter than has hitherto been deemed suitable for the purpose, and which shall have walls ofthe desired thickness and strength.

A further object is to provide an attractive and durable pipe which may be furnished at a lowinitial cost. N

With these ends in view myi sists in first treating a corn-cobf pliable, and subsequently com? form the bowl of a pipe.

ntion con- My invention further consists in a corn-cob pipe formed by compressing a corn-cob into the desired shape.

My invention further consists in certain steps ot' procedure and combinations of elements, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a mold for compressing the cob, showing the cob or section of the cob in position to be compressed. view showing the cob compressed, and Fig. 3 is a view of the completed pipebowl.

In its natural state, as may be well known, a corn-cob consists of a central pitby substance around which the thin walls or blades which separate theinner ends of the kernels converge to form a hard wall from one-eighth to onequarter of an-ineh in thickness. Such wall is not, however, of uniform thickness in the same cob, and is in many instances soft in places and has small openings where the inner end or point of the kernel extends almost to the pith.

The gist of my invention consists in materially thickening and hardening the 'abovereferred-to Wall by compression and rendering it of uniform consistency, and thereby making the use of smaller and imperfect cobs eminently practicable. To accomplish this I first subject the cob to the followingtreatment, which Iiind at present to be satisfactory, although I may find it expedient tov vary the treatment somewhat7 as experience may dictate. Theeob or section of cob A,considerably longer than the completed bowl is intended to be, is bored out to a depth such as to leave the cob the desired thickness at the bottom to form the bottom of the pipe-bowl, and the outside is preferably, but not necessarily, trimmed, to give it a more uniform exterior surface. The cob 0r section of cob,A, is then placed in water in which borax is dissolved, and boiled slowly for several hours. The proportion of borax to water should be about one and one-half ounces of borax to one gallon of water for soft cobs and about one ounce of borax to one gallon of water for harder cobs. The harder cobs will also require boilnga longer time than the softer. For example, the softer cobs should be boiled three or four hours andthe harder cobs four, live, or six Fig. 2 is a similar IOO hours. This has the effect of thoroughly satnrating the cob substance with the boraxwater and causes the cob to swell in length and thickness and to become elastic. The saturated cob is then taken from the boiling solution and allowed to stand an hour, more or less, and while yet warm is dipped in a thin solution of silicate of soda. It may be either wholly immersed in the solution or may be simply dipped, so as to bring the outer surface into contact with the solution. The latter I find produces satisfactory results. In either case, however, the silicate ofsoda permeates the swollen pores of the blank and bccomes thoroughly incorporated with the cob substance. Before the cob has an opportunity to dry or harden it is placed in a mold,B, shaped to give it the desired form for the com pleted bowl-in the present instance tapered. It is necessary that the blank should fit the mold without any considerable amount of side play. A block, C, of the suitable thickness, is inserted in the bottom of the mold to forni a rest for the lower end of the cob. The block C is interchangeable with a block having a greater or less thickness or a greater or less diameter, to occupy positions at greater or less distances from the bottom of the mold to accommodate cobs of different lengths. A follower or movable platen, D, is provided with a central depending projection,adapted to conform to the bore in the cob, and said projection d should be made to extend just to the bottom of the bore when pressed home. rIhe follower is also made interchangeable with others of different depths, to suit different lengths of cobs, and at the same time forni pipe-bowls of the same length. Shoulders E at the upper end of thc follower serve to limit its movement toward the bottom of the mold, and hence the length ofthe pipe-bowl.

Vhen the parts have been placed in position, as shown in Fig. 1, the mold is placed in a suitable press of any well-known coustruction, and the follower is forced. home into the position shown in Fig. 2. It is locked in this position, preferably by means of hooks e, pivoted to its head, one on cach side,which are constructed to engage lugs or studs F on the sides of the mold. Vv'vhen locked, the mold is set aside for the compressed cob or bowl to dry. The drying process maybe hastened by the application of heat. A slow heat gives the best results, and the bowl will be in condition to be removed from the mold in the course of ten or twelve hours, or sooner if a higher degree of heat be applied. The bowl is then removed from the mold, turned or sand-papered, or both, to give it the desired finish, and a hole formed for the stem.

The pipe-bowl as thus formed has a thick might be employed to carry out my invention, and hence I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to their particular construction in carrying my method into ef-- feet.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by I Letters Patent, is-

l. The improvement in the art of manufacturing corn-cob pipes, consisting in first treating the cob to render it pliable and subsequently compressing it to form the pipebowl.

2. The improvement in the art of manufacturing corn-cob pipes, consisting in first treating the cob to render it pliable and sul)- sequently subjecting it to pressure within a suitable mold to form a pipe-bowl.

3. The improvement in the art of manufacturing corn cob pipes, consisting in first saturating the cob with a solution of borax to render it pliable and subsequently compressing it to form a pipe-bowl.

4. The improvement in the art of manufacturing corn-cob pipes, consisting .in first saturating the cob with a solution of borax, then treating it with a silicate solution, and subsequently compressing it to forni a pipebowl.

5. The improvement in the art of manufacturing corn-cob pipes, consisting in first saturating the cob with a solution of borax, then treating the saturated cob with silicate of soda, and subsequently compressing the cob in a suitable mold to form a pipe-bowl.

G. The improvement in the art of manufacturing corn-cob pipes, consisting in the following successive steps: boring the cob to a greater depth than the interior of the finished bowl is intended to be, treating the bored cob to render it pliable, and compressing it in a suitable mold.

7. As an article of manufacture, a compressed corn-cob pipe bowl, substantially as set forth.

8. As an article of manufacture, a corn-cobpipe bowl, the walls of which are impregnated with borax and a silicate, and solidified by' compression, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the p resence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST RUTH.

litnessesz E. C. Snwitnn, L. A. CONNER, J r.

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